Piercings
by alynwa
Summary: A Sugar and Spies tale.  Leona gets permission to get her ears pierced from Napoleon while Illya is out of town.


Piercings

Napoleon sighed with relief as he reset the alarms to the apartment and walked to his bedroom with suitcase in hand. He had just gotten off an overnight flight from Mexico that landed at JFK an hour earlier and he was beat. He had been in Mexico City for the last five days escorting and body guarding the wife of a nuclear physicist who was attending a conference. Normally, this would have been a Section III function but, there had been intel indicating that THRUSH wanted to "recruit" the scientist for their own nefarious purposes and was planning to abduct the wife to insure his cooperation. Fortunately, the only attempt to snatch her was quickly and quietly quelled by him before it got out of hand.

His biggest problem turned out to be the wife herself. According to her, her boring husband's idea of romance was remembering to remove his socks before making love. Napoleon's natural charm, flirtatiousness and good looks worked against him as he was forced to fend off her amorous overtures every time they were alone for more than ten minutes. _I'm going to have bruises on my butt for days from all her pinching, _he thought wearily as he unpacked his bag. As he threw his dirty laundry into his bathroom hamper, he thought _I really have to learn how to tone down the charm. _He looked in the mirror and smiled. _Ah, but when you've got it, you've…_

The ring of the telephone interrupted his train of thought. Walking swiftly back into the bedroom, he answered on the second ring. "Hello?"

"Napoleon, hi, it's Rosie. How are you?" Rosie Greer and her husband Lamont were Leona Nicole's guardians whenever he and Illya were in the field. Napoleon thought the world of them both and Leona loved them.

"I'm fine, Rosie! Just got back from out of town. How are you and how's my little girl?"

"We're both fine; I took a chance and called because I'm heading to the mall and Leona has been bugging me for the last three days to get her ears pierced. Her argument is that since she's four, her ears should have been done ages ago. What do you think about me taking her today?"

Napoleon sat on the bed and asked, "How is it done and will it hurt her?" The idea of pain being inflicted on his little girl did not sit well.

A gentle laugh came through the receiver. "Aw, aren't you a good Daddy! The woman I go to uses a stud gun that shoots a fourteen carat gold stud into each ear. She'll feel a pinch but, that's it. She's very good, Napoleon; she pierced Paige's ears when she was six months old."

_Paige's earrings do look nice. _"Rosie, let me speak to Leona, please," he asked and waited while she called Leona to the phone.

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Hello, my sweet. Aunt Rosie tells me you've been asking her to get your ears pierced."

"Oh yes, Daddy, please? Please, Daddy? I want to look pretty like Paige! Tell Aunt Rosie it's OK, please?" Leona used the voice that melted his heart.

_She has me wrapped around her little finger and she knows it. _"Alright, let me speak to your Aunt."

"Thank you, Daddy!" she squealed with delight.

Rosie was back on the line. "I take it all this jumping up and down means you said yes," she said. "Come pick her up tomorrow."

"Illya will be coming through JFK tomorrow around one o'clock; he will pick Leona up. Rosie, you're sure Leona will be okay?"

"Relax, Napoleon, she will be _fine._ I'll speak with you later. 'Bye."

MFUMFUMFUMFUMFU

Sunday early afternoon found Napoleon on the couch in his sweatpants and long – sleeved T-shirt reading the Sunday New York Times as he awaited the arrival of his partner and their daughter. Illya had used his communicator to let Napoleon know he was back and on his way to Springfield Gardens to collect Leona. Just as he glanced at his watch again, he heard the key go into the lock. _Great, they're here._

Leona raced into the living room and before he could admonish her for running in the house, she slammed into his arms. Eyes brimming with tears, she whimpered, "Papa doesn't like my earrings!"

Napoleon leaned back to look at her. Each ear had a small gold ball sitting in the middle of the lobe. It reminded him that his sister had her ears pierced at an early age, too. "No? I like them; I think they look nice. Don't be upset, Sweetheart; I will speak with Papa and get it straightened out. Why don't you sit here and watch TV while I go see him?" He turned on the television. "Look, Leona! Wonderama's still on!"

He left the little girl and went in search of his partner. Illya had reset the alarms and apparently gone into his room. Napoleon knocked and pushed the door open slightly. "May I come in, Illya?"

He heard an angry chuff from the other side. "I see; _now_ you want to ask if something is alright to do. Obviously, changing the physical appearance of my child doesn't warrant the same consideration! Get in here and close the door."

Napoleon slid through the opening and shut the door behind him. His famously prickly partner was on his bed with his shoe – clad feet up and his back against the headboard. He glared at Napoleon who felt the best thing to do was to stand next to the exit until the storm clouds he was seeing in the Russian's eyes blew away.

Illya looked like he was trying very hard to remain calm. Napoleon noted he was drinking water, not vodka, and thanked his lucky stars that whatever had Illya so incensed, alcohol was not fueling it.

"Ah, Tovarisch, Leona is not happy that you don't like her earrings. What happened when you got to the Greers' house?"

"I told the cab to wait for me. Lamont answered the door. Paige and Leona ran up to get hugs and kisses. Paige got to me first and when I turned to hug Leona, I saw those…_things_ in her ears. I think Rosie saw the look on my face and said quickly that _you _had authorized it. When Leona asked me if I liked her new earrings, I told her to get her things so we could leave. I did not say anything to her or Rosie but, Miss Intuitive felt my disapproval. We got into the cab and she leaned into me and put her arms around me and was quiet the whole trip home. I kissed her again when we pulled in front of the building but she didn't say a word until she spoke to you."

Napoleon stepped farther into the room and sat on the foot of Illya's bed. "Her feelings are really hurt, Illya. You know she holds your opinion about how she looks in higher regard than mine."

The blond leaned forward and placed his hands on either side of his knees. "You should have thought about that before telling Rosie to have her ears pierced!" he hissed. Moving to sit Indian style, he slid closer still to Napoleon, who wasn't sure he shouldn't back up. "Napoleon," he said _sotto voce_, "what is the purpose of wearing earrings?"

"What? Ah…" he was thrown by the question. "Well," he started as Illya gazed at him intently, "Ah, earrings are adornments…"

"And, what is an adornment," Illya interrupted, "but something that adds attractiveness to the wearer?" He took a deep breath and moved closer still to the man sitting at the end of his bed. "Napoleon, I told you about some of my experiences in the orphanages during and after the war, especially the abuse.* I have seen what can happen to pretty little girls. Leona Nicole is a _beautiful_ little girl in her own right. I do not want her to be _attractive._ Who is she supposed to be attracting? I do not wish to transfer my fears to her and frighten her but, Napoleon, I am afraid for her. I do not like this." He shook his head sadly.

Napoleon could have kicked himself. _It didn't even occur to me that he would think that way about it! I'm an idiot. _He put his hand on the smaller man's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I'm sorry, Illya. Truly, I am sorry. Rosie sounded so upbeat about it all and Leona really wanted to have it done and I was tired and wanted to please them and…I just didn't think. How angry are you?"

Illya sighed, "When I first saw the earrings, I admit, I was furious. However, in my heart, I know that neither you nor Rosie meant any harm. You think that pierced ears are just something that seems like a nice thing to do and not an invitation for creeps to approach her. I have to remind myself at times that her childhood is nothing like mine and never will be. Napoleon, if anyone ever tries to…" he shook his head and looked away to compose himself. When he turned to face his partner, Napoleon saw the face of the KGB assassin that Illya Kuryakin was trained to be. "Nothing and no one will save him."

A knock at the door halted their conversation and Illya called, "Come in, Leona." When the little girl came in, he opened his arms to her. She ran to the bed, climbed on it and was enfolded in her Papa's arms. "Leona," he cooed as he kissed her forehead, "Papa did not mean to make you sad. I was surprised, that is all. You look very pretty."

"Thank you, Papa! Wonderama is over, Daddy, can I have a snack?"

"_May _I?" Napoleon corrected.

Leona Nicole smiled. Daddy made sure she spoke correctly. "_May_ I have a snack, please?"

Her Daddy picked her up, kissed her cheek and set her on the floor. "Yes, you may, my lovely little lady."

The Russian smoothly came off the bed. "Yes, a snack sounds grand. Better yet, lunch; airplane food is not the best."

Napoleon smiled at his partner and thought, _Thank God Illya is forgiving about all this. I know he is not completely comfortable with this but, he is willing to try to accept it. I won't make that stupid mistake again though I'm sure there'll be others. _He sighed and said to his family, "Lunch, it is. Let's go."

*_Ref. "Ghosts of the Past"_


End file.
